STOCKHOLM, Sweden. Saab engineers in Stockholm, Sweden, outfitted the company’s Gripen E military aircraft simulator with a wide-area display (WAD) developed by Brazilian-based company AEL Sistemas to boost pilot situational awareness, meet growing demands for data display in the cockpit, and to satisfy part of a technology transfer agreement.
The WAD in Gripen E is a panoramic, high-resolution screen that measures 19 by 8 inches in size, and enables the redundant and intelligent presentation of information across its entire length, with the capacity to receive inputs from multitask keys, the touchscreen, or external interfaces.
The WAD, the main source of flight and mission information in the cockpit, harnesses sensor and data fusion as well as advanced human-machine collaboration to provide the pilot with the right information at the right time, which boosts situational awareness – a key factor in winning the modern battlespace. The information is presented in easily interpretable, information-centric icons on a large wide-area-display touchscreen, enabling configurable information presentation and the potential for reconfiguration mid-mission by the press of a button, officials say.
WAD is a multi-purpose display system with full-color, large-screen (19 x 8 in), continuous image presentation and the state-of-the-art touchscreen controls capability. WAD’s advanced software applications have been designed to support pilots to make fast, sound decisions through data fusion, and increase view of the combat arena, including ground and air targets.
“The sensor and weapon ranges are getting longer so the modern battlespace covers bigger areas. To be able to cover that area in your tactical display you have to zoom out. It is a challenge to both get an overview of the battlespace and also get the level of detail that you need. WAD gives you that possibility,” says Jonas Hjelm, head of Saab’s aeronautics business area.
Using the state-of-the-art technology, Gripen E is designed to meet the demands of existing and future threats, while simultaneously meeting strict requirements for flight safety, reliability, training efficiency, and low operating costs.
“The future battlespace will be very demanding. Fighter aircraft will need to analyze and handle high volumes of data, supporting the pilot’s ability to select, launch, and guide weapons in perfect coordination with other team members – well before the adversary,” Saab officials explain. “This is where Gripen E dominates. A key differentiator for Gripen E is its availability and adaptability.”
